The video shared by Trump in which the Obamas appear as monkeys has been deleted. White House talks of a 'mistake'

A video shared late Thursday on US President Donald Trump's Truth Social account, in which former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle appear as monkeys, was deleted on Friday after criticism for racism, Reuters and AFP reported.

An official from the White House claimed, on condition of anonymity, that the offensive images, which gathered thousands of likes, were displayed “by mistake” by someone from the presidency's staff, without naming the person in question, notes Agerpres.

Hours earlier, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt downplayed the incident, calling it “fake outrage” by those who reacted negatively to the video, including several lawmakers from the president's Republican Party. She did not speak of any error, but stated that the short clip with the Obamas was a parody found on the Internet, in which Trump was presented as the King of the Jungle and the Democrats as animals from the animated film The Lion King.

Reuters notes that Trump has used racist rhetoric in the past and has long promoted a false theory that Barack Obama was not born in the US.

In December 2025, he spoke of Somalis in America calling them “garbage” that must be expelled. He previously called some developing countries “shithole countries”. He also posted online doctored images of the Democratic leader of the United States House of Representatives, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, with a handlebar mustache and wearing a sombrero.

For centuries, white supremacists have portrayed African Americans as apes, an offensive stereotype used to dehumanize and dominate them.